Building using a container as a base structure

ABSTRACT

A building is formed from two halves each cut from one or more rectangular metal containers, with the two halves being arranged with an open face thereof facing inwardly toward one another with a space therebetween. A roof is formed over the two halves and spans the space and to an outer face of the halves. A front vertical panel fills the space at the front between the two halves and includes a door and a rear vertical panel fills the space at the rear. Gable panels extend up to the roof. The roof is arched and formed of a flexible fabric or panel material. The roof and end walls can be collapsed and stored into the container halves for transportation. A more permanent construction is formed by inclined roof panels supported by rafters connected by three or four-way connector members at the ridge rail.

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C.119 from Provisional application 60/659,102 filed Mar. 8h 2005.

This invention relates to a building structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one object of the invention to provide a building structure formed inexpensively from available materials.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a building comprising:

two halves each formed from one or more rectangular metal containers;

the two halves being arranged facing inwardly toward one another with a space therebetween;

a roof formed over the two halves;

a front vertical panel filling the space therebetween and a rear vertical panel filling the space therebetween.

Preferably the roof is arched.

Preferably the roof is fabric covering a plurality of transverse supports.

Preferably the front panel is a door.

Preferably each side is formed by two halves stacked one on the other.

Preferably the two halves are hinged together.

Preferably each side is formed by one half of a container with the open face of the half facing the open face or the other half.

Preferably each container half has a stiffener member attached along top and bottom edges of the inwardly facing front face.

Preferably the stiffener member along the top edge of the front face includes a truss.

Preferably the two halves each define, with the open face facing inwardly, a bottom wall adjacent the ground, an outer wall opposite to the inner face and standing upwardly at an outer edge of the bottom wall and a top wall extending inwardly from an upper edge of the outer wall and wherein the roof spans over the top wall to a position adjacent the upper edge of the outer wall.

Preferably there are provided front and rear vertical gable panels extending from a top edge of the front face to the roof.

Preferably the roof and gable panels are bolted in place so that they can be dismantled and stored in the contained when collapsed together and the end faces connected.

Preferably there is provided a strap connecting bottom edges of the container halves at the front face.

Preferably the strap is flat so as to lie flat on the ground.

In a more permanent construction, the roof is ridged formed from two inclined flat panels which can be supported by rafters and a ridge rail where the rafters are connected to the ridge rail by three or four way connector members. The lower ends of the rafters can be connected to an outer edge of the respective half container by a connector member attached to the half container at the outer edge. This may include a base plate which is welded to or bolted to the metal container at the outer edge. Connector members of this type include separate sleeves each for receiving an end of a roof member. Thus the sleeves will be rectangular for lumber and may be round for pipe or square for tube.

The flat panels may be formed as sheets of insulating foam material which is clad on at least one surface by a sheathing material, such as sheet metal on the exterior surface.

These structures would be ideal for construction companies, etc., where they require a field building to protect equipment, offices, etc., etc. Also they would be very suitable for farms, etc. They are shipped in closed container mode whereby all components including roof components, etc., are packed inside for rapid assembly. They are easily dismantled and moved to another site. The steel construction components allow this structure to remain on permanent basis or as may be required.

This structure has many unique advantages over the increasingly popular fabric shelters in the marketplace. The steel wall construction provides far greater wind resistance, snow load resistance, fire resistance, less likely to suffer vandalism whereby fabric structures are easily damaged by sharp objects, etc. and is cost comparable or less than the full fabric structures. Additionally the structures could be insulated and heated in extreme weather conditions.

As an alternative to the to the transportable building design, there is also provided a system which furthermore utilizes common lumber and building materials to transform marine containers into more permanent storage buildings.

The arrangement includes a series of connectors that will enable the roof and other enclosures to be completed with common lumber materials which are available at any domestic lumber dealership.

Included are a variety of metal connector receivers which include a metal base flange support. This flange connector is designed to receive, and hold in place, either 2×4 or 2×6 lumber planks which form the individual truss components of the roof.

Three-way connectors are used at both outer truss members. These upper connectors receive each of the two downwards/vertical angle truss planks which are inserted in each of the base flange supports (one on each end). There is also a third horizontal/directional component part of the three-way connectors which accepts the upper horizontal truss plank which attaches to the next adjacent truss member.

Four way connectors are used for all inside, upper truss members. These connectors receive each of the two downwards/vertical angle truss planks which are inserted in each of the base flange supports, and they include the third and fourth components which accept the upper horizontal truss planks that attach to each of the adjacent truss planks.

A variety of other connectors may be included to complete the overall design completion of the entire building.

The system provides all necessary components so that with the use of common lumber a marine container may be transformed into a much larger and more practical storage facility at very reasonable costs, and in most cases the work can be performed by anyone with basic carpenter skills.

The system can provide a transportable building which can be readily demounted and transported to a new location for erection. However using the various connectors disclosed herein, the containers may be transformed into more permanent building structures which can be made from common lumber by use of various multi directional connectors.

The roof may be either arched or gable design and completed with either metal tubing and tarpaulin type enclosure materials, or with common lumber by use of various multi directional connectors as disclosed herein.

The roof may be fabric cover over metal tubing or otherwise common lumber such as 2×4 or 2×6 truss planks fitted inside the multi directional connectors and thereafter enclosed by lumber or insulated panels, or other.

The buildings may be single container high, or double container high.

Gable enclosure may be completed with fabric material or otherwise lumber, insulated panels or other.

The containers are not usually recycled for scrap at this time as they have use for general storage however the increasing use of containers and high demand for steel may eventually create greater demand for the steel than their current usage.

By being able to transform containers into high use storage buildings, the value of containers will be greater than scrap steel.

Presently the China imports are increasing every day and this means that there are countless, and increasing number of used marine containers arriving in North America every day. Soon there will be so many containers they will be cut up and used for the scrap value of the steel which is in very high demand internationally. According to the system disclosed herein all used marine containers would have a very beneficial use as buildings.

In a first version, where the roof is made from tubing and tarpaulin rather than PC panels, this model can be assembled and disassembled as required and as such, it would be complete with all parts.

In a second version, the system provides a more permanent building the design is arranged in order to substantially reduce the price to make it more practical for all potential buyers who do not require disassembly/re-assembly feature. Thus the building concept is expanded so that it can be assembled more economically and very easily by the buyers as a permanent installation.

The design uses two-way, three-way, and four-way connectors. These connectors are heavy duty connectors and are arranged as round connectors to receive appropriate size, round tubing, or as square connectors designed to accept wood 2×4 or 2×6 lumber planks. Many farmers, construction companies, etc., can use these storage buildings as a permanent structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a building according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view similar to that of FIG. 1 showing a modified arrangement.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the building of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the building of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the building along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a further embodiment of building of according to the present invention having a gable roof for a more permanent construction.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a further embodiment of building of according to the present invention using the gable roof of FIG. 6.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are scrap views showing the connectors to be used in the roof structures of FIGS. 6 and 7.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIGS. 1 through 5 is shown a first construction of the building. This is based upon a pair of conventional cargo or transportation containers which are welded steel structures with corrugated walls to provide the necessary structural strength. The steel structures are generally rectangular and when using road transportation containers, the container is conventionally 8 feet wide, 40 feet long and 7.5 feet high. Such containers are widely available and manufactured in huge numbers for use in road transportation. Used containers are readily available as they are conventionally replaced after a number of years but are still serviceable as a steel structure.

Recycling of such steel transportation containers is problematic and conventionally their used simply for scrap which requires them to be cut into pieces and fed into the smelting process for recovery.

The conventional container is cut along a center line so that the front wall is cut, the bottom wall is cut, the top wall is cut and the rear wall is cut to form two independent halves of the container. In FIG. 1 a hinge structure is applied along the center line of the top wall so that one half can be hingedly lifted and tilted to a position on top of the other half. Thus the height of the finished structure is 15 feet or double the original height and the width is 4 feet or one half of the original width. The length remains of course at 40 feet. This provides a double height shell structure with one piece standing stably on top of the other and connected by the hinge line along the centre. Straps are provided on the side wall so that straps bridge the junction between the two parts. The straps thus hold the structure stable and prevent the upper half from toppling toward the hinge line. The straps can be provided as over center latches or similar arrangements which simply provide a connection across the junction which is sufficiently strong to prevent toppling and holds the structure tightly together.

As shown in FIG. 2, two of the divided containers are placed at spaced positions with the hollow interior facing one another so as to leave a space therebetween. The space can vary in width depending upon the requirements for the size of the finished building. Steel cross braces 10 interconnect between the two sections 11 and 12 of the container structures thus holding the structure rigid and rectangular. The steel cross bases are of sufficient strength to prevent toppling during wind loads so that the width of the structure holds the completed assembly from twisting.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 arched roof trusses are provided extending over the structure from the outer edges 13 of the container sections with each roof truss indicated at 43 and extending across over the open space between the two container sections to the outer edge of the opposite container section. These roof trusses are then covered by a fabric layer 15. The building structure is completed by one or more sliding door structures 16. A single sliding door is provided between posts 17 and 18 attached to the inside surfaces of the two inwardly facing container structures. The posts provide abutting face for the sliding door in conventional manner. The sliding door bridges across the full width between the posts.

In a wider construction the door may fill only a part of the area between the posts 17 and 18 with the remainder being filled by panels. The rear (not shown) can also include a similar sliding door or can be filled with panels. Other types of door structure can be used including simple small opening doors sufficient in size merely to pass a person depending upon the end use requirement for the building structure.

The fabric panel 15 also includes a part circular front and rear section indicated at 15A which bridges between a cross beam 19 at the top of the door to the first of the arched roof trusses.

The option shown in FIG. 7 allows the user/owner the ability to erect “either” a single high (7.5′) wall structure versus the double high (15′)×40′ long. This option would require only a single container versus two containers which effectively reduces the costs significantly. An alternative would be railway box cars which are either a single high (12′) versus double high (24′)×52′ long. A buyer may purchase a single high model and later purchase an additional container structure if they wish to double the height of these structures.

Further details of a building of this type are shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. The building comprises a first container portion 20 and the second container portion 21. These are cut from preferably the same container so that each defines an outer wall 22, a top wall 23, a bottom wall 24, a front end wall 25 and a rear end wall 26. These elements are formed from the conventional container so as to be formed from corrugated steel with longitudinal ribs 27 which provide strength to the individual walls. The cutting of the structure defines a front face 28 with the front faces matching. Across the bottom wall 24 at the front edge at the front face is provided a bottom stiffening member 29. A symmetrical top stiffening member 30 is provided at the front edge of the top wall 23. These stiffening members are welded to the structure to provide stiffening of the otherwise raw edge of the container. The container is formed in the conventional manner and has corner posts 31 and top and bottom rails 32 and 33. This provides a rectangular structure for the container which is then filled by the walls panels as described above.

The addition of the stiffening members holds the front face fixed and rectangular so that these two front faces can be spaced apart. To provide additional structural strength, the top stiffening member is supported by a truss 30A with an upright portion 30B and inclined braces 30C. This holds the top edge rigid against sagging. The front faces are held apart by a bottom strap 35 which extends across the bottom rails at the bottom walls 24. The strap 35 is preferably is simply a flat strap so that it can lie on the ground and hold the inner faces at the required spacing. At the top is also provided a panel 36 which attaches across the front edges. The strap 35 and the panel 36 can be bolted in place so that it can be readily removed. A conventional door 38 is provided for closing the space between the strap 35 and the panel 36. The door 38 is formed in individual panels and can open preferably on a sliding track 39 of a conventional nature. The track 39 is supported from the top rail 30.

Over the building structure is provided a roof 40 which extends from one edge 41 at the outer wall 22 to a second edge 42 at the outer wall 22 of the opposite container half. The roof is formed preferably from curved arch members 43 which bridge over the structure from a bottom horizontal rail 44. The arch members are provided at suitable spaced positions along the length of the building from a front arch member 43A to a rear arch member 43B. The arches can be used to support a fabric or a plastic sheeting material which can be semi-rigid or completely flexible. The arches can also be used to support panels which are relatively stiff but can be curved into an arch shape to match the shape of the arched members.

A front gable panel 50 is provided which has a top edge defined by the front arch member 43A and a horizontal bottom edge 51 extending across the top of the panel 36 and across the top walls 23 of the container halves. A similar gable panel is provided at the rear end. Thus the roof bridges over the top walls 23 to extend to the outer wall of the container halves. This can provide entry of light into the interior if the gable panels and the roof are formed of a translucent or transparent material.

The roof and the gable panels can be collapsed by separation of the forming rails each from the next so that the roof structure can be stored with the straps 35 and the panel 36 within the interior of the two container halves when they are brought together as a collapsed structure. In this way the whole of the building can be collapsed into the size of the container with all of the elements received within the container. The two halves of the container can be fastened together by buffing the stiffening members and providing a suitable fastening between the two halves to hold the open faces together thus enclosing the material forming the remainder of the building within the interior of the container.

As an alternative to the arched roof structure, flat roof panels converging to a peak along a center line of the building can be provided with the two flat panels extending outwardly and downwardly to the outer edge at the outer sides of the container halves. Also a flat roof can be provided as a yet further alternative.

The containers are readily available and the structure can be formed simply by cutting an existing container into the two halves, attaching the stiffening members and providing the remaining elements as a kit of parts can be supplied to attach to the container to form the building on site where required. The whole building is thus readily transportable. The whole building is much more structurally rigid and much more resistant to damage or vandalism than is simply a building formed wholly from fabric or panels or sheeting material. The front and rear panels between the container halves are substantially rigid and much more difficult to damage or open than is a corresponding fabric material.

In FIGS. 6 through 10 is shown an alternative arrangement utilizing the same basic structure including the two sections of container indicated at 20 and 21. In FIG. 6 the container is arranged with two sections hinged together as indicated at 20A and 20B and on the other side at 21A and 21B. The same frame structures as previously described are used to connect the arrangements and provide a front door 16.

In this arrangement however, a more permanent roof structure is provided by roof panels 60 and roof rafters 61 together with a longitudinal ridge rail 62. The roof panels are formed from insulating foam material which can be fastened directly to the upper surface of the rafters. The insulating foam material is coated on the outside surface by a suitable cladding material which may be steel or other sheet metal which can be coated with a resistant and covering coating on the outside. Such sheets are commercially available and can be used edge to edge to provide a surface covering the whole of the roof defined by the roof rafters 60.

The ridge rail 62 is formed from independent sections which are connected between each pair of roof rafters and the next.

At the base of each roof rafter where it is connected to the outside edge of the respective container portion there is provided a connector member 65. This comprises a base plate 66 which is bolted to or welded to the side of the container at the outside edge which faces upwardly so that a sleeve 67 which is arranged at an angle to receive the rafter 60 to support the lower end of the rafter and hold it in its position extending upwardly and inwardly toward the ridge rail. At the center at the ridge rail there is provided three-way connectors 68 and four-way connectors 69. The three-way connectors are arranged at the end and provide sleeves 70 and 71 to receive the rafters at the end of the building. A sleeve 72 projects along the direction of the ridge rail so as to receive an end of the ridge rail section to hold it in place. That ridge rail section extends to the next four-way connector 69 which includes a similar sleeve to receive the other end of the ridge rail section. Two further sleeves 73 and 74 are provided which are inclined downwardly to receive the upper end of the rafters of the second set of rafters. A further sleeve projects along the line of the ridge rails to receive the other end of the next ridge rail section. Thus the ridge rail is formed from individual sections connected between each connector 69 and the next. Each connector 69 has a pair of sleeves for supporting the upper ends of the rafters. In this way the roof can be formed simply by connecting together simple readily available commercial portions of lumber which may be 2×4 or 2×6 depending upon the size of the building. Of course the dimensions of the connectors are arranged to accommodate the size of lumber selected. The connectors include holes through the side wall of the sleeve to allow screws to fasten through the connector and hold the end of the lumber piece within the sleeve to hold the rafters and the ridge rails sections in place.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. 

1. A building comprising: two halves each formed from one or more rectangular metal containers; the two halves being arranged with an open face thereof facing inwardly toward one another with a space therebetween; a roof formed over the two halves; a front vertical panel filling the space therebetween and a rear vertical panel filling the space therebetween.
 2. The building according to claim 1 wherein the roof is arched.
 3. The building according to claim 1 wherein the roof is formed of a flexible material covering a plurality of transverse supports.
 4. The building according to claim 1 wherein the front panel includes a door.
 5. The building according to claim 1 wherein the front panel is substantially wholly a door.
 6. The building according to claim 1 wherein each side is formed by two halves of a container stacked one on top of the other.
 7. The building according to claim 6 wherein the two halves are hinged together.
 8. The building according to claim 1 wherein each side is formed by one half of a container with the open face of the half facing the open face or the other half.
 9. The building according to claim 1 wherein each container half has a stiffener member attached along top and bottom edges of the inwardly facing front face.
 10. The building according to claim 1 wherein the stiffener member along the top edge of the front face includes a truss.
 11. The building according to claim 1 wherein the two halves each define, with the open face facing inwardly, a bottom wall adjacent the ground, an outer wall opposite to the inner face and standing upwardly at an outer edge of the bottom wall and a top wall extending inwardly from an upper edge of the outer wall and wherein the roof spans over the top wall to a position adjacent the upper edge of the outer wall.
 12. The building according to claim 1 wherein there are provided front and rear vertical gable panels extending from a top edge of the front face to the roof.
 13. The building according to claim 1 wherein the roof and gable panels are bolted in place so that they can be dismantled and stored in the contained when collapsed together and the end faces connected.
 14. The building according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a strap connecting bottom edges of the container halves at the front face.
 15. The building according to claim 14 wherein the strap is flat so as to lie flat on the ground.
 16. The building according to claim 1 wherein the roof is ridged formed from two inclined flat panels.
 17. The building according to claim 16 wherein the roof includes rafters and a ridge rail where the rafters are connected to the ridge rail by three or four-way connector members.
 18. The building according to claim 16 wherein the panels are supported by rafters which have lower ends connected to an outer edge of the respective half container by a connector member attached to the half container at the outer edge.
 19. The building according to claim 17 wherein the connector members include separate sleeves each for receiving an end of a roof member.
 20. The building according to claim 16 wherein the flat panels are formed as sheets of insulating foam material which is clad on at least one surface by a sheathing material. 